‘A city like no other’: New York Mets unveil City Connect uniforms
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Anthony Gharib, ESPN
The New York Mets unveiled their City Connect uniforms Friday.
The look will debut April 27 against the St. Louis Cardinals and will then be worn for every Saturday home game except Darryl Strawberry’s jersey retirement on June 1.
The inspiration of the uniform relates to the “concrete jungle, the strength and grit” that is the fabric of New York and a “city like no other,” according to the team’s news release. The color of the uniform is also a nod to the concrete jungle.
Andy Goldberg, Mets chief marketing officer, told ESPN that placing “NYC” across the chest was a deliberate move because the franchise hopes to connect to the whole city rather than just one area. The font of the NYC is the classic road jersey one. In Goldberg’s mind, this wasn’t another Mets uniform but one that was their own and brought life to what the city means to the franchise.
“We are out in Queens. We have a different history than everyone else compared to the other teams. So we just wanted to capture the city the best way we could,” Goldberg said. “And we have this sort of like, really, really passionate fan base that, you know, they want to see this. They want to wear this with pride, and we want them to wear this with pride.”
The jersey’s typical pinstripes are instead the circles and diamonds that make up the subway system. The sleeve patch is inspired by the city’s subway token. Included behind a “New York City” on the inside of the cap is New York City’s train system, which connects the five boroughs. It’s similar to how the Baltimore Orioles designed the inside of their uniforms to highlight the city’s arts and culture.
However, one of the more anticipated aspects of the design leading up to the reveal was the Mets’ use of purple. It serves as a nod to the 7 line, which is represented by a splash of the color throughout. According to the release, the Mets described the 7 line as the “one train that represents all New Yorkers equally and brings you to our home.”
Goldberg said they took swatches of purple and went to different stations, holding it against the 7 line signage.
“We wanted to get the right one but also one that felt right for the jersey,” Goldberg said. “There were a lot of different elements and challenges. But I think in the end, everyone here, it wasn’t about convincing people it was right. When they see it, they’re like, that is exactly what we should be wearing.”
One of those aforementioned different elements is the silhouette of the Queensboro Bridge on the hat and the steel structure on the sleeve.
The process of designing began in December 2021. The Mets went through 20 to 30 looks, some of which were “fundamentally different designs.”
Goldberg said that once the design was finalized last summer, those working on it sat down with Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor and explained it. During spring training, more players saw the look and “absolutely loved it.”
“Their eyes [popped] out of their head and going, Wow. Like, that was the biggest; they couldn’t wait to wear it. … I think they really like it,” Goldberg said. “They feel comfortable in it. They love how it represents New York. They just, they love the look.”
The San Diego Padres placed right-hander Michael King on the 15-day injured list Thursday because of left knee inflammation.
King (4-2, 2.81 ERA) had just come off the IL on Saturday, allowing two runs in as many innings of a no-decision against the Boston Red Sox.
It was his first start since May 18 as he dealt with shoulder inflammation.
Now, he’s back on the IL with a knee issue in a move retroactive to Monday.
It’s a setback for a red-hot Padres team, who will carry a five-game winning streak into a weekend showdown against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. First-place San Diego is one game ahead of L.A. in the NL West.
King had been scheduled to start the series opener Friday.
In the corresponding roster move, the Padres recalled right-hander Randy Vásquez from Triple-A El Paso.
While the Milwaukee Brewers keep on rolling, another Wisconsin business is stocking up on beef and buns.
For the third time in its history, George Webb Restaurants will make good on its promise of giving away free hamburgers as part of a longstanding promotion to celebrate the Brewers winning 12 consecutive games.
The free burger giveaway will be held Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. CT at all 23 of the restaurant’s locations throughout Wisconsin. Vouchers for a burger at a later date will be available at all locations starting Friday.
“Hungry fans are welcome to stop by any location for a free, juicy burger and some camaraderie with fellow baseball fans,” the restaurant said on its website.
Starting way back in the 1940s, when Milwaukee was home to the minor league Brewers of the old American Association, George Webb promised free burgers if the local baseball team won 17 consecutive games.
The promotion dropped to 13 games by the time the Braves made Milwaukee a big league city in 1953, but that franchise couldn’t make it happen before departing for Atlanta in 1966.
George Webb changed the promotion to 12 games when the Brewers moved from Seattle in 1970. In 1987, the Brewers opened the season with 13 wins in a row, and more than 170,000 burgers were given away to mark the occasion.
The Brewers accomplished the feat a second time in 2018, closing the regular season with eight victories followed by four playoff wins. That streak led to 90,000 free burgers being given away in addition to 100,000 redeemable vouchers.
Prior to reaching the magic mark on Wednesday, the Brewers had come close on a few occasions, including an 11-game winning streak earlier this season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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